The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, extended warm wishes to former Ghana President John Mahama ahead of the December 7 general elections.

Okonjo-Iweala met Mahama at the annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Sunday, August 25, where both were keynote speakers.

Speaking briefly to the former president, she could be heard saying, "I wish you all the best" about the upcoming polls while she extended a warm invitation to him to stop by the WTO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

During her speech, Okonjo-Iweala called for collaboration to tackle Nigeria’s socio-economic problems as opposed to exchanging blame.

She noted that one reason Nigeria’s economy has declined is the lack of consistency in policy implementation. She pointed out that new administrations fail to continue working policies that were put in place by predecessors, allowing politics to shape policies.

“A very important part of the explanation for why we have not been able to succeed is lack of policy consistency,” she said.

“Successive administrations failing to continue good, and I emphasize good, economic and social policies put in place by predecessors, allowing politics to frame policy. What we can call the ‘not made in my administration syndrome’.”

On his part, John Mahama called for the establishment of a Pan-African legal framework that reflects the continent’s unique values and realities, aiming to address the myriad challenges Africa faces. He emphasized the critical role that legal professionals must play in shaping this framework to support the continent’s development.

In his address titled “The Future of Africa Amid Rising Security, Economic, and Political Challenges,” Mahama stressed the importance of adapting legal education and practice to meet the demands of an integrated African market. He pointed out the need for expertise in international trade law, cross-border disputes, and comparative African law to be developed within the legal community.

President Mahama will face Vice President Muhammadu Bawumia in one of the most anticipated elections in decades.